“Gross disloyalty”: Democrats censure Tom, Sheldon

The state Democratic Party has censured State Sens. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, and Tim Sheldon, D-Potlach, for “gross disloyalty” and “perfidious behavior,” and told the dissident D’s that they will never again get a dollar of support or access to a party mailing list.

Tom and Sheldon have teamed up with 23 Republicans to form a “Senate Majority Caucus,” and have begun to use a 25-24 majority in the Legislature’s upper chamber to overhaul worker’s compensation laws and pursue such goals as axing the state’s Family and Medical Leave Act.

In a resolution adopted by state Democrats at a weekend central committee meeting in Olympia, the party charged that Tom and Sheldon are denying the ability to pass progressive legislation to many Democratic State House members, and denying to the Governor and the voters of the State the ability to pass a budget that reflects Democratic values.”

The resolution also calls on the Senate Democratic Caucus to “officially and permanently expel” Tom and Sheldon from the caucus. The resolution passed unanimously.

The resolution carries some teeth. It noted that Tom, in his 2010 reelection race, received more than $70,000 from Democratic Party organizations, and more from Democrats in his Eastside district, and that Sheldon was assisted by Democrats in his Thurston-Mason County district.

Henceforth, said therResolution, “Washington State Democrats commit to withholding support of any kind, including access to VoteBuilder (a key data source) from Senators Tom and Sheldon.” The party urged county and legislative district Democrats “to similarly withhold support from Senators Tom and Sheldon.”

Both Tom and Sheldon are up for reelection in 2014. Sheldon is not likely to lose sleep over the resolution.

Sheldon has a tradition of backing Republicans in statewide races. He has repeatedly been targeted in primary elections by progressive and labor groups, and has waltzed to victory by big margins despite a heavy volume of spending against him. Sheldon is a man wearing two hats in that he is also a Mason County commissioner.

Tom was once a Republican, who crossed to the Democratic side of the aisle — even sponsoring legislation calling for an impeachment investigation of President George W. Bush — before again making common cause with Republicans during a 2012 legislative budget battle.

With help from fellow Democrats, he stood off a major 2010 Republican challenge in the 48th District, at a time when Republicans were regaining three state Senate seats on the Eastside.